About Radio 7

Radio 7

Radio 7 is one of Baden-Württemberg's three regional private broadcasters, an adult-contemporary station based in Ulm serving the southeast of the state — from Aalen and Ulm through Ravensburg to Lake Constance. Founded in 1988 in Leutkirch im Allgäu, it plays "the best current hits for the south", anchored by the most-listened-to morning show in its broadcast area with Linda Borrmann and Dominic "Gebi" Gebauer. Owned by the three major media groups of the region, Radio 7 reaches a daily audience of 474,000 in the German part of its area. Its domain (radio7.de) is listed by Wikipedia but was not independently load-verified during research, so no official website is asserted here.

Overview

Radio 7 broadcasts an adult-contemporary music format aimed at listeners between the Danube and Lake Constance. The morning show is the programme's centrepiece: hourly regional news from Ulm, Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen after the main news, plus service, entertainment and regular listener promotions such as competitions. Nights from 11 p.m. are unmoderated. Local studios in Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen supply local news and event tips, while a marketing office in Konstanz serves the neighbouring Swiss market. The station is privately owned and advertising-financed, operated by Radio 7 Hörfunk GmbH + Co. KG.

History

Radio 7 was founded in 1988 in Leutkirch im Allgäu and began broadcasting on 1 July 1988, in the first wave of private radio enabled by the licensing of local broadcasters in Baden-Württemberg. Its official broadcast area covers southeastern Württemberg — the districts around Ulm, Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen, reaching toward Lake Constance. Over the years the station professionalised its regional structure: studios in Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen were retained as local news and events outlets, and a Konstanz office was opened for marketing in adjacent Switzerland, where the programme is also receivable. DAB+ distribution followed on 1 December 2014 for all of Baden-Württemberg and on 31 August 2020 for Bavarian Swabia. Programme director Daniel Lutz, previously of Klassik Radio, has led the station's programme since April 2026.

Programming

The music format is adult contemporary with a hot-AC lean: current hits, recurring favourites and pop titles for a broad adult audience. The morning show with Linda Borrmann and Dominic Gebauer is the most-listened-to in the broadcast area, combining music, regional service and entertainment. Regular listener-binding promotions and competitions run through the day, and the programme carries hourly news with regional splits from the four studio cities. After 11 p.m. the programme runs unmoderated.

Coverage & Audience

Radio 7 broadcasts on FM across southeastern Baden-Württemberg — Ulm (101.8 MHz, plus 90.0 MHz Ulm-Wiblingen), Aalen (103.7), Ravensburg (96.9), Tuttlingen (Witthoh 102.5), Villingen-Schwenningen (101.2) and the Iberger Kugel (105.0) — and on DAB+ throughout Baden-Württemberg and Bavarian Swabia, receivable in northern Switzerland as well. Cable and a worldwide livestream complete the distribution. The ma 2025 Audio I survey credits Radio 7 with an average hourly reach of 128,000 listeners between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the German part of its broadcast area and a daily reach of 474,000; the Swiss Mediapulse panel measured around 42,200 daily listeners in Switzerland in 2014.

Ownership

Radio 7 is owned by the three major media conglomerates of Baden-Württemberg: the Mediengesellschaft Donau-Iller GmbH & Co. KG (a publishing subsidiary of the Südwest Presse) with 44.0 percent, the Schwäbischer Verlag GmbH & Co. KG (SV-Group, Ravensburg) with 44.0 percent and the Schwarzwälder Bote GmbH & Co. KG with 12.0 percent. The publisher ownership reflects the station's roots in the region's newspaper industry and underpins its local-news operation.

Digital Presence

Radio 7 operates a website and livestream alongside apps and social media channels, extending its regional programme into on-demand and mobile listening. The station's digital channels carry the live programme, regional news and event content for the Ulm–Aalen–Ravensburg–Lake Constance corridor, while the Swiss marketing presence in Konstanz supports cross-border advertising. From a 1988 Allgäu launch to statewide DAB+ coverage, Radio 7's digital evolution has kept pace with the transformation of regional German radio.

One of Three Bereichssender

Radio 7 was founded on 1 July 1988 in Leutkirch im Allgäu and is headquartered in Ulm — one of three regional "Bereichssender" in Baden-Württemberg alongside Radio Regenbogen and Antenne 1, the large-area private stations created in the 1992 local-radio reform ("15 plus 3"). Its official broadcast area is south-eastern Württemberg, between the Alb and Lake Constance, the Black Forest and the Allgäu. The owner is the Radio 7 Hörfunk GmbH + Co. KG; shareholders are the Mediengesellschaft Donau-Iller (the Südwest Presse publishing subsidiary, 44%), the Schwäbischer Verlag (44%) and the Schwarzwälder Bote (12%) — the three big media houses of the region. Managing director Tobias Krohn, programme director Daniel Lutz (in office since 1 April 2026, previously of Klassik Radio).

Four Studios, One Hundred Staff

Nearly 100 staff produce the music-oriented full programme with a strong service character at four locations: the main studio in Ulm plus studios in Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen (delivering local news and event tips), and an office in Konstanz responsible for marketing in neighbouring Switzerland. The morning show — the most-listened-to in the broadcast area — is hosted by Linda Borrmann and Dominic "Gebi" Gebauer, with regional news from Ulm, Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen hourly after the main news. In the ma 2025 Audio I the station reached 128,000 listeners per hour and 474,000 daily in the German part of its area; in Switzerland the Mediapulse panel measured around 42,200 daily listeners (2014).

DAB+ and the LiveRadio Experiment

Radio 7 has been on DAB+ across Baden-Württemberg since 1 December 2014 and in Bavarian Swabia since 31 August 2020, alongside its FM network (including 101.8 MHz Ulm). From 24 May 2012 to 1 December 2014 the station led "LiveRadio" — the "first event radio for Baden-Württemberg", produced in cooperation with Antenne 1 and Radio Regenbogen as an advertising-free DAB experiment for the event-minded 20–40 target group. After its discontinuation the three partners each went on DAB themselves. The slogan is "Die besten aktuellen Hits für den Süden" ("The best current hits for the south") — the AC sound of south-eastern Württemberg since 1988.

The South-East's Regional Broadcaster

Radio 7 is one of the three regional private broadcasters of Baden-Württemberg, with its headquarters in Ulm. The programme was founded in 1988 in Leutkirch im Allgäu and went on air on 1 July 1988; its official transmission area is south-eastern Württemberg — between the Alb and Lake Constance, the Black Forest and the Allgäu — with more than a million listeners a day in the area. There is also an office in Konstanz responsible for marketing in adjacent Switzerland. Studios in Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen supply local news and event tips. The owner is Radio 7 Hörfunk GmbH + Co. KG; the managing director is Tobias Krohn, the programme director Daniel Lutz (in office since 1 April 2026, previously of Klassik Radio). The shareholders are the Mediengesellschaft Donau-Iller GmbH & Co. KG (a publishing subsidiary of the Südwest Presse, 44%), the Schwäbischer Verlag GmbH & Co. KG (44%) and the Schwarzwälder Bote GmbH & Co. KG (12%).

Programme and Reach

Radio 7 plays an adult-contemporary format under the slogan "Die besten aktuellen Hits für den Süden" ("The best current hits for the south"). In the morning show there are hourly regional news from Ulm, Aalen, Ravensburg and Tuttlingen after the main news; regular listener-binding campaigns such as competitions are part of the schedule, and the night from 11 p.m. is unmoderated. The most-listened morning show in the transmission area is hosted by Linda Borrmann and Dominic ("Gebi") Gebauer, with plenty of service and entertainment. According to ma 2025 Audio I, Radio 7 reaches 128,000 listeners in the average hour (6 a.m.–6 p.m.) in the German part of its area, with a daily reach of 474,000; in Switzerland around 42,200 listeners a day are reached (Mediapulse Radiopanel 2014). Reception is via FM (Aalen 103.7, Ulm 101.8, Ulm-Wiblingen 90.0, Iberger Kugel 105.0, Ravensburg 96.9, Witthoh 102.5, Villingen-Schwenningen 101.2 MHz), DAB+ across Baden-Württemberg since 1 December 2014 (and in Bavarian Swabia since 31 August 2020), cable and livestream.